Each of us is going to have a different experience with plantar fasciitis in terms of what is happening on a daily basis. Plantar fasciitis is quite a democratic disease — striking a huge range of people.
Some of us are runners. Some like to hike and walk. Others are more stay-at-home types. We have all different kinds of body types and weights and tolerance of pain. And we have vastly different daily routines. Some have to work standing up all day. Others sit at computers most of the day and then go for a run.
In my experience, no matter who you are and what you do, your body will tell you fairly precisely how you are doing in your recovery.
Every day is different, and every day I have to trust my body to tell me what is going on. Usually, these days, I don’t have to ice my foot, but sometimes, for no apparent reason, my heel is quite sore, and out of the blue I need to ice again.
If I forget that standing around, like at a party, is one of the worse things on my feet, my foot will let me know right away, as I’m standing there. These days, I pay attention, and even if it makes me feel like an old lady, I find a chair and sit down.
Sometimes, I want to take a longer walk, so I walk, even knowing that my foot may be sore, and I ice it when I get home. If it’s quite bad, I take some ibuprofen, though I pretty much hate doing that.
Some things I do no matter how my foot is feeling, like stretching my calves and Achilles tendons multiple times a day, and before I get out of bed in the morning, and wearing good shoes, but for everything else I pay attention to what my body is telling me on a daily basis.
Action Item
- Listen to your body, and respond!